Switch



Nov. 22, 1927. Y 1,650,137 J. 4A. KOPP ET AL n SWITCH Filed sept. 2a,1925 attorno/13 Patented Nov. 22, 1927.

UNITED STATES Pirriur OFFICE.

. JOI-1N A. KOPP, JOHN G. GUENTHNER, FRANK J. WELLKAMP, AND CHARLES J'.MEYER, 0F LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY. i

SWITCH.

Appiicatm'n sied septemberwzs, 1925. serial No. 59,076.

This invention relates to electrical circuit` closers or switches, andhas for itsobject the provision of a switch adapted to be mounted upon avehicle steering wheel and operable .5 to control any desired circuit orcircuits, the particular function for which the device is designedrbeingto control the `brilliance of the headlights of the vehicle.

An' important object of the invention is to,` provide a switch forl thisor an analogous purpose embodying various structural features whereby itwill be within convenient reach of i the operator or driver withoutvnecessitating removal of his hand from the steering wheel` toeffectdimming or brightening, or even extinguishing, of the lights.

A further object is the provision of a switch in Vwhich themechanism isenclosed withv the exception of the` operating handle,

the parts being consequently protected against injury and against theentrance of dirt, grit andthe like which might interfere with theaction.

A still further object is to provide a switch embodying contacts ofpeculiar and advantageous formation inasmuch as over-throwing will bepositively prevented, the contacts being, moreover, formed integrallywith the terminal elements soas toavoid likelihood of derangement, thecontacts serving as stops for limiting movement of the switch arm ineither direction.

An additional object is vto provide a switch which will. be veryinexpensive to manufacture, easy and simple to install or apply andoperate, efficient,- and durable in service, and a general improvementin the art.

To the attainment of the foregoing and other objects and advantages, theinvention tion and the arrangement and combination of parts to behereinafter' more. fully described andclaimed, and illustrated in thelaccompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a plan view of asteering'wheel having the switch in applied position thereon.

lFigure 2 is a sectional view through the switch taken alongsubstantially the line 2-2 of Figure 1, a portion of the steering wheelbeing illustrated.

Figure 8 is a top plan view of the inner member of the switch with thecover or casing and'handle removed.

Figure 4 is a view taken on the line 4--4 rradiate spokes B carrying therim @,the inpreferably consists inthe details of construcof Figure 3,looking `in thevdirection of the v arrows, and showing a side elevationof the inner member.

F igure' is a horizontal section taken on the 'line 5-5 of Figure 2 andlooking upwardly, and

Figure 6 is a detail section taken on the .line 6 6 of Figure -3 andillustrating the Contact construction.

t Referring more particularly to the drawings, the letter A designates,generally, a steering wheely upon which it is intended that the switch'be mounted, the wheel including the usual hub portion from whichtentionbeing to mount the switch upon one of the spokes as indicated in'Figure 1. In carrying out the invention we provide a base member 10 ofsuitable insulating material and of any desired size andl shape, whichbase member has one side cut away, as indicated at 11 so as to define anopening or space 12 beneath a disk 13, likewise of insulating materialmounted upon the base member 10 and secured thereto as by means ofa boltor screw 14 which, in the present instance, is represented as projectingbeyond the bot-tom of the base and screwed into a suitably tapped hole15 in one spoke of the wheel. It is also desirable to use a similarscrew or bolt 16 passing through another' part of the base and likewisescrewed into v a tapped hole 17 in the wheel spoke. It will be observedthat the screw 14 performs the additional function of preventingrotation of the disk 13 with respect to the base 10.

Located at the center of the disk 18 is the rotatable switch armstructure indicated n generally by the numeral 18, which arm isnecessarily constructed of metal and formed with a hub portion 19carrying an outwardly extending arm 20, which has its edges preferablybeveled off oppositely as clearly indicated in Figure 6, for a reason tobe explained. The hub portion' 19 is formed 10o 21. Above the centralhub portion 19 is a cylindrical extension 211 terminating in la reducedangular extension 25. 4 Carried by the disk 13 and located at spacedpoints are contacts 26 which are sim- 110 ilar in construction. Eachcontact is formed as a metallic body 217 having a substantially U-shapedhead 28 adapted to receive the switch arm 20, the inner corners oi theends of the. arms ot theLUi being preferably rounded ott' as indicatedat 29 to provide a flaring entrance to the space within the U-shapedhead, lor :facilitating passage oi the switch arm into the space, asclearly indicated in Figure 6i The metallic body 2T is further formedwith a reduced threaded extension or shank 30. i 'l'lie tivo contactmembers 26 are arranged with the heads 28 in opposite ref lation, asshown in Figure 3, so that the switch arm 20 may enter them at the endsof its n'ioven'icnt. The shanks 2l() ot course pass through suitableholes in the disk l?) and. carry securing nuts 3l. These shanksconstitute terminals with which are connected terminal lugs V32 outlieends ot conductors which are preferably formed into a loom 34'. VTheloom further includes a conductor '35 equipped with a tern'iinal lug 3Gengaged' and heldby the screw 22 provided tor 'holding the switch armassembly in place. rllhe space l2 within the base deiined by cuttingl itaway is tor the accommodation or' the conductors 33 and as well as thebinding nuts employed in connection therewith.

The above described parts are enclosed within a casing' A37 which may beoiany suitable material, but which isr here represented as metallic andprovided with a lining 38 of insulating material. The casing is fric-Ationally engaged upon the base member 1() andV lits snugly thereon andupon the disk 13. At its center the casing is formed with a hole 39within which the cylindrical extension 2li; is journaled, the angulareXtension 25' of' course projecting beyond the casing and carrying ahandle 40 having a suitable opening therethrough contormingly engagedupon the angular extension 25. A screw el is used for holding the handlein place, this screw being threaded into the extension 25.

Under ordinary circumstances, or when it is so desired, the switch arm2O may be held in: neutral' position by means of a curved upstandingproject-ion 42 iormed, integrally upon the disk 13 at. a point midwaybetween thecontacts 26, the arm 20 being resilient so that when sprungup onto. the projection l2 it will remain in such. position by friction,so that a positive turning movement of the handle 40 must be given tomove the switch arm 20 oil from the projection 42 and into engagementwith the selected contactQG.

Vhile the uses of' the device are many,l it is particularly well adaptedfor use in controlling headlights of an automobile, in which event theconductor 35 might be connected. with the source of current koit the carandthe conductors 33 connected with the proper terminals provided forwhatever wiring, resistance, etc. is provided; in connection with theheadlights. This use is mentioned by way ot illustration, and when theswitch is-empl'oyed for such. a. purpose, it is quite obvious that itwill be a simple and easy matter to move the handle ll() to bring theswitch arm 2() into engagement with either contact 'for supplyingcurrent to either of two circuits. An advantage is that the, handle 40is located in such position as to be within. convenient reach of theoperator or driver who may control the switch without any necessity forremovingI his hand from the rim of the steering wheel, where it shouldybe kept in accordance with the dictates ot safety. Owingto the factthat the heads 28 ofthe contact members 2o are intended to be somewhatresilient, and I 0W- ing to the tapering of thel opposite sides of theswitch arm, it is clear that when the switch arm is in..engagementfwithin either contact 26 it will be frictionally held and'prevented froml accidentally slipping out, this being another safetyfeat-'ure in that un-l intentionalextingui'shing the lights wouldv notoccur. In view of they fact that alll the parts with the exception` ofithe handle are enclosed it will be seen that there isno opportunity fordirt, grit or the like to enter andinterfere with the, action.

While we have shown and describedV thepreferredv embodiment of theVinvention, it

should be understoodY that we reserve the right to make such changes inthe. form,

construction and' arrangement ot parts as will not depart from the s'iri't of the invention or the scope of the su joined. claims.

`lVhat is claimed is 1. A switchV of the character described comprisinga.` base; of, insulating material', a casing connected therewith,saldbase having. av portion cut. away to.- defineV a. space, a disksecured uponV the base and extending entirely across the interior ofthecasing, a switch arm assembly including a hubv portion rockably mountedIinthe disk and casing, and an elongated arm securedy to the hub portionyabove. the disk and within the casinga binding screw locatedin said?space.

beneath the disk and secured to the lower end of said, hub portion,saidf hub portion terminating at its upperend in an extension projectingbeyond the casing a handle on said extension, a pair. of' contactsmountedV on said disk in the path of said arm, other binding screwslocated in said space beneath the disk and connected. respectively withsaid contacts, said casing having an opening in one side so thatconductorsmay passv into said space beneath the disk andA be connectedwith, the respective binding screws.

ZA, switch of the character described` comprising a base ofinsulamaterial, a. easing connected, therewith, sai Abase having llt) aportion cut away to define a space, a disk secured upon the base andextending entirely across the interior of the casing, a switch armassembly including a hub portion rockably mounted in the disk andcasing, and an elongated arm secured to the hub portion above the diskand within the casing, a binding screw locatedrin said space beneath thedisk and secured to the lower end of said hub portion, said hub portionterminating at its upper end in an extension projecting beyond thecasing, a handle on said eXtension, a pair of U-shaped contacts arrangedin opposed relation in the path of said arm, each of said contactshaving a stem integralthe disk and connected with t-he respectivebinding screws.

In testimony, that we claim the foregoing as our'own, we have heretoaffixed our signatures.

JOHN A. KOPP.

JOHN G. GUENTHNER. FRANK J. WELLKAMP. CHARLES J. MEYER. f

